(Cleveland) – The 67th Graduation Ceremony of the Greater Cleveland Drug Court, under the direction of Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Lauren C. Moore took place Monday, February 22, 2021.  To ensure the safety of the Drug Court team and all participants, Judge Moore conducted the graduation via Zoom from her courtroom on the 15^th floor of the Justice Center.

A total of 13 people graduated, bringing the total number of people who have successfully completed the program to 1,842 since it began in 1998.

The keynote speaker for the ceremony was Chris Spenser, a former case manager for the Greater Cleveland Drug Court.  Even though there was a handful of people graduating, she was focused on one person in particular.

“They always assigned me the tough ones and I’m happy to say that tough one graduated today and that’s a great feeling,” she said.

With a master’s degree in social work and months of perseverance, Spencer was able to get her client to finally open up and when that happened, she was on the road to recovery.

“Drug Court is only as good as you want it to be and in the end, it’s all about getting well and staying well,” said Spenser.

Participants in the Greater Cleveland Drug Court generally spend 12 to 20 months in the program. Longer cases may occur due to the fact that opiate addicts generally need more treatment time.  This year, four of the graduates entered the program with felonies, while the others were charged with lesser offenses.

Specialized dockets like the Greater Cleveland Drug Court are dedicated to handling offenses related to substance abuse, and use a combination of techniques for holding the offenders accountable while also addressing the underlying causes of their behavior.

There are more than 150 specialized dockets in Ohio. In 2014, this particular docket was certified by the Supreme Court of Ohio. The Drug Court Program began in the Cleveland Municipal Court in 1998 and has since expanded to other parts of Cuyahoga County.